Fate of yolanda survivors in focus: Family killed in tent fire was due for relocation

CEBU, Philippines - The continuing struggle of typhoon Yolanda survivors in Tacloban City was highlighted once again when a mother and her six children died after being trapped inside a burning tent at Barangay Costa Brava in San Jose district of this city on Wednesday.

Five of the children—aged 4 months to 12 years old—died on the spot. The 38-year-old mother, Maria Elisa Ocenar, and her 7-year-old son later succumbed, one after the other, while being treated of their wounds in the hospital.

Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman yesterday told dzMM radio in Manila that the victims were among those who were due for relocation to what the government calls a ‘’transitional shelter’’—a temporary housing structure made of indigenous products such as anahaw leaves and coco lumber.

Soliman said the government was targeting to transfer some 3,000 typhoon survivors in Yolanda-hit Tacloban by the end of June in preparation for the wet season, but this faced a snag over location concerns, thus the delay.

The Ocenar family had left Tacloban earlier but came back two weeks ago when they found a vacant tent in the tent city. Since the typhoon struck more than six months ago, electricity has been restored in some but not all the affected areas. The tent city at Barangay 88 continued to rely on generators for lighting, but these were often switched off at night.

UNHCR has distributed 19,000 solar lamps to the displaced communities to help alleviate the lighting shortage and enhance protection especially for women and children.

Following the tragedy, various groups have renewed their calls for the government and aid organizations to hasten and strengthen rehabilitation efforts in the typhoon-hit areas.

“This is a double tragedy for the family, to have survived the typhoon only to be killed as they were just starting to rebuild their lives,’’ said Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees representative in the Philippines Bernard Kerblat.

“This accident is a somber reminder that the authorities and aid agencies need to strengthen existing efforts to sensitize the community on fire safety and mitigation measures, and seek permanent housing solutions for IDPs (internally displaced persons),” Kerblat said.

In a report by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines News, Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo asked the government to double its rehabilitation efforts in view of the scheduled visit of Pope Francis in 2015.

‘’First of all, the government must strive to hasten the rehabilitation because if the visit of the Holy Father pushes through, the Philippines will be the focus of the international community,” Pabillo told CBCPNews. ‘’It should be shown to the world that we did something and so it will not turn disgraceful.”

The fire in Tacloban’s tent city started just after midnight on Wednesday due to a gas lamp. Tacloban Police officer-in-charge Chief Insp. Romulo Flores said the victims got trapped inside the burning tent because they were unable to find the zipper-locked door.

Flores said that, based on the investigations, the mother was  breastfeeding her baby when the gas lamp inside the tent was accidentally toppled, triggering the blaze.

“Nag-panic na ang mag-iina, hindi na nila agad nabuksan ang tent. Hindi sila agad nakalabas, so ang ginawa na lang ng ina, niyakap na lang niya ang mga anak niya,” said Flores. —from the wires